Cover operated display box



Nov. 3, 1953 M. GOLDSHINE bOVER OPERATED DISPLAY BOX INVENTOR. MILVY/V 60/05/11:

/; ,'rrae/vzy Filed Jan. 10, 1951 Patented Nov. 3, 1953 COVER OPERATED DISPLAY BOX Melvyn Goldshine, Flushing; N. Y., assignor to American Safety Razor Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., 'a' corporation of Virginia Application January 10, 1951, Serial No. 205.350

4. Claims. (01. zoo-45.13)

This invention relates to display boxes and has for its principal object the provision of a novel container for small articles such as pocket lighters and jewelry in which the individual articles may be packed and sold and in whichmeans are provided for displaying such articles in an advantageous position while on the store counter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display container formed with a tray for the article which lies wholly within the box when the latter is closed but which instantaneously and automatically springs to a partially elevated rearwardly inclined position when the box cover is opened, thus displaying the article carried on the tray in a most attractive fashion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved display box comprising a body section and a similarly shaped hinged cover section,

a display tray and support therefor and wherein both the box and the support have spring means for maintaining the parts both in closed and in open position, thus preventing casual closing of the cover section or sagging of the tray under the weight of the article carried thereby.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a display box embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the box in open position;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken through the center of the closed box;

Fig. 4 is a section taken through the box in partially opened position;

Fig. 5 is a section taken through the box when in fully opened position;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on line E- a of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a broken section taken on line l--| of Fig. 4.

The display box of the present invention includes a body section In and a similarly shaped cover section I I hinged to the body section at I2. Both sections may be made from sheet material such as cardboard with suitable covering or wrapping, metal, or plastic material. In the event of the latter the sheet material may, if desired, be transparent.

A curved spring l3 formed from fiat sheet metal may be incorporated in the two-part hinge assembly l4 and which urges the cover section to fully closed or to fully open position. A convenient method of securing the terminals of the spring may comprise forming openings l5 in the hinge elements and bending the terminals to grasp the'horizontal'edges of the openings as 7 shown at l6.

The display section includes a tray ll of a width to fit snugly between the side walls 18 of the body section and of a length slightly less than the length of such body section. The tray carries an insert I9 which may be covered with decorative fabric and which is formed with a recess 20 shaped to receive the article to be contained therein, 'such as a cigarette lighter. Flanges 2| around the margins of the insert engage the side walls of the tray in snug-fit relation.

The tray is automaticallymoved from closed position, largely in the body section, when the box is in closed position, to its open or displaying position when the cover'section is opened,

by meansof a supporting element which may be formed from a strip of sheet material, of the same width as the tray.' This strip comprises a lower section 24 of greater length than the length. of the tray, a shorter intermediate section 25 defined along its loweredge by a fold line 26, such section being of lesser height than the combined height of the body and cover sections, and an upper section 21 joined to the intermediate section by a fold line 28.

The lower section 24 is secured to the lower surface of the tray as by means of staples 3| and has an intermediate, transverse fold line 32 disposed closer to fold 28 than to the forward edge of such section. Fold line 32 defines a sub-section 33 of lower section 24 and is of a length greater than intermediate section 25.

' Slots 30are-formed centrally of section 25 and sub-section 33 substantially equidistant fromfold line 26 and the terminals 34 of a curved spring 35, similar to spring I3 are received in such slots. This spring is so formed as to be substantially at rest when the box is closed and section 25 is at right angles to sub-section 33 as shown in Fig. 3. When, however, the box is opened to the position shown in Fig. 5,. spring 35 limits the fall of sub-section 33 to a position at an angle substantially 45 to the horizontal. This causes the tray to be held at somewhat the same angle but oppositely disposed.

Because the box of the present invention is usually formed from a wrapped cardboard blank, a similarly wrapped insert 40 is shown as covering the major portion of the lower wall of the body section.

Spring I3 is substantially at rest when the box is closed and is under a considerable bending tension when fully opened and such spring maintains the cover in this open position due to the 3 fact that the axis I! of the hinge has passed a center line between the terminals of the spring. Spring 35 is under some bending tension when the tray is in its elevated, inclined position but is influenced only slightly by the weight of the article on the tray.

I claim:

1. A display *box comprising a body section, a cover section hinged thereto, a curved spring secured at its terminals above and below the hinge axis to the cover section and the body section, respectively, to maintain the cover section in open position, a tray for holding'and displaying an article contained in the'b'oxand being of lesser length than the body section, and means for elevatin the tray to a rearwardly inclined position with its lower end in the body section when the box is open, suchmans'comprising a strip of fiat material having a lower section secured to the tray, an intermediate section of lesser height than the box and-disposed adjacent the box wall carrying the hinge, an upper section secured to the cover section, and fold lines at the upper and lower ends of the intermediate section forming hinge elements between the intermediate sectionand the upper and lower sections, respectively, and a fold-line between the ends of the lower section, said fold lines being parallel withthe hinge axis, and a curved spring secured at its terminals to the strip above and below the foldline-between-the intermediate and lower sections of said strip for maintainin the tray in said rearwardly inclined position when the box isopen,

2. A display box comprising a body section, a cover section hinged thereto, a'tray for holding and-displaying an article-contained in the box,

and meansifor elevating the tray to a rearwardly inclined position when the box is open, such means comprisingan elongated supporting mem-- -ber having a p-lurality of spaced, transverse hinge elements disposed parallel with the box hinge and dividing the-member intoa plurality of interconnected hinged sections including a rear and front-lower section, the'latter being attached to the tray, an intermediate sectiondisposed adjacentthe rear of the box and which isgenerally vertically disposed when the box is closed, and

an upper section secured to the cover section, a

spring secured at itsterminals to the supporting member aboveand below the hinge element between the upper and the intermediate sections of said member for maintaining-the rear lower section'in a forwardly-inclined position and the tray in said rearwardly'inclined position when the box is open.

3. A display'box comprising a body section, a cover section hinged thereto at the rear of the box, a tray for holding and displaying an article contained in the box, such tray being of lesser length than the body section'and lying largely within said section when the cover section is closed, and means for elevating the tray to a rearwardly inclined position with its lower front end positioned in the body section to the rear of the front thereof when the box is open, said means comprising a strip of flat material having a lower section attached to the tray, an intermediate section of lesser height than the box and disposed adjacent the rear thereof, an upper section secured to the cover section, and told lines at the upper and lower ends of the intermediate section and a fold line between the ends of the lower section, said fold lines formin hinge elements and being parallel with the box hinge, a spring secured at its terminals to the cover section and the *box section, respectively, above 'andbelow-the-box hinge for maintaining the box in'open:position, =and a spring secured at its terminals to the strip above and below the fold line between the intermediate and lower sections of said strip for maintaining the adjacent part of the lower section in a forwardly inclined position and thetray in said rearwardly inclined position'when'the box is'open.

4. A display box comprising a body section, a similarly shaped cover section hinged thereto along the rear top edge'th'ereo'f, a tray for bolding and displaying an article contained in the box and provided withaninsert having an opening shaped to lit the article, such tray being of lesser length than the body section and lying largely within said section with 'i'tsfr'ont end at the front of the 'box when the cover section is closed, and means for elevating -the tray to a rearwardly inclined position with its 'front end in the body section to the rear of the 'front of the box when the box is open, said means comprising a strip of ilat 'i na terial'hav'ing a two-part lower section,-an intermediate -s'ec'tion'o'f lesser height'than the box and disposed adjacent the rear of the box, an-upper section secured to the cover section, and 'fold lines defining such-sections and forming 'hingeelements thereb'etween which are-generally parallel with the box hinge, a curved springformed from sheet metal secured at its terminals to the cover a'nd box sections above and'below the hinge line for'rnaintaining the box in open position, and a similar spring secured at its terminals to the strip above and below the fold'line between the intermediate and lower sections of said'strip for maintaining the adjacent part ofthe lower section in 'a forwardly inclined position when the box'is-open, the other part thereof being secured to the tray.

'MELVYN'GOLDSHINE.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES :PATEN'IS Number Name Date 47,430 Kolb Apr. 25, 1865 1,666,001 Catala Apr. 10, "1928 1,883,012 Shields Oct. 18, 1932 2,219,597 Lutz -Oct.-29, 1940 

